Falling to Pieces
by Phoebe Miller
Summary: Another 504 coda...


_**Here I am again...another story. :-) **_

_**I'm not sure about this one. Never written a coda...usually don't venture too close to the show with my stuff.**_

_**Thanks to the Wenwalke, Fifilla, julieb716 and theDogo for letting me torture them. Your input really helped guys.  
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/././

Steve held on to his partner. No words. Just a firm grip. He shoved him through the door and into the street.

Danny pushed him away, but he didn't let go. Punches landed and they stung. Words hurt worse. A rupture of sorts. And then silence.

Steve had a plan in place. All Danny had to do was follow him. Keep up. Say nothing.

_Hold it together just a little bit longer, partner._

Because Steve knew.

He knew they were in trouble the minute they walked down those stairs. He had to lock it down, use his training and contacts and get them the hell out of there.

But first they had to wait four hours in a crappy apartment in a crowded, falling down noisy neighborhood. Houses and people and dogs and rats all stacked on top of one another. The place – every crack- teeming with life.

And all he could think about was death.

Dirty, sweaty, grimy – and there was blood. Too much blood.

_Matt. Reyes. His dad. Freddy. Jenna. Billy. Meka. Grace._

Danny's ghosts joined his own.

And he knew what was coming for his friend.

_Nightmares. Panic attacks. Insomnia. Cold sweats. Headaches._

Sounds yanked Steve out of his head.

Dogs barking. A baby crying. People laughing through paper thin walls. Music always the same song. Over and over. A couple caught up in passion.

Sex, love and murder.

Because that's what it was. Cold hearted. Murder. Revenge.

Mess with his family. Danny struck back. No question. Steve knew this instinctively. Loved and hated his friend for it.

For he knew the burden could be too much to bear.

/./././

Hours loomed ahead of them. Three more in this shit hole and another how many in the air.

No turning back.

No forgiveness.

A whole new world.

One without his baby brother.

Danny couldn't even begin to think how Matty died. That would come later. Now he just had to focus, compartmentalize. But it was so difficult to shut down his thoughts.

He'd actually fooled himself into believing Matty would be alive and waiting for him. Danny was in shock. His heart ached, actually hurt as it crushed him from the inside out.

_What would he tell Grace? _

_What had he done?_

_What in God's name would he tell his folks? _

_What would he tell himself?_

And Steve. Steve was another story.

He stared it down cold. Never questioning.

His partner had his back always.

He took care of the details. Planned everything. Set up a ship to return Matty to Hawaii. Secured a flight home for them. One with few questions. They could take the money back to Hawaii too.

_Blood money_.

Money that had led to all of it. Greed. Lust. Lies. Vanity. And then finally- Wrath.

And it wasn't over. They had to wait in this rat trap of a safe house. All their raw emotion bottled and saved for later when the taps could run free.

Now was not the time or place. Danny was lucky he had Steve with him. He needed someone who could suck it all in and be a machine.

Because he knew he couldn't do it without him. Steve was his strength. And one of the few people he knew would never judge him for what he did.

Danny actually thought he might have scared his friend a little. Truth be told, times like this, he scared _himself_. A lot.

He was overwhelmed because he had done it. Kept his word. No hesitation. No question.

And he was shocked by how much he liked it. The sheer sweet satisfaction that he'd wiped the smug look off that cruel bastard.

"Danny." Steve touched his arm. He flinched away from his best friend not wanting to feel anything.

_Not now._

_/./././_

Another ninety minutes and they'd be one step closer to home. Then everyone would know. Matt was dead. Probably had been for a while. His luck had run out.

_Playing with fire gets you burned._

Steve wondered how much Matt told Reyes. Had he been strong? He had his doubts. Danny'd told him his brother didn't handle pain well. That he was afraid of the dark.

Right now, he cursed Danny for having a brother. For making him care about any of this.

When one of them suffered, the other felt it. The same was true for the rest of the team.

And this mess had already wrapped its tentacles around them too.

/./././

The sun had set an hour ago and they waited for their signal. Forty-five minutes to go. They took turns pacing and keeping watch. Still no words.

There was nothing to say.

And yet their thoughts were the same. Get home safely. Then deal with this. Now it was all about survival. Wait for the all clear. Escape and evade.

If Steve had been the first through that basement door –

None of this would change.

It had always been Danny's call. All of it. The money. The rescue that wasn't.

And finally vengeance.

But Steve would be first through other doors now. He'd set everything in motion.

Sending Matt home.

Getting them back to Hawaii.

Covering their tracks.

But something was slipping.

Danny was always his rock, the strong one.

Could Steve hold it together?

_Who would be their rescue?_

Because neither man would be fine when this was over.

Danny crouched in the corner. Jagged sobs. Dry heaves. All muffled. Hidden. Not because of shame but for safety.

They were still in danger.

They had to get out of the country.

People were looking for them. Out for revenge themselves.

/./././

Twenty minutes to go.

Both men were on their feet, itchy and tempted to leave ahead of schedule. Haste makes waste. Haste gets you killed.

Danny fought for control. Couldn't let his emotions get the better of him.

Impatience. Loss. Anger. Trust. Grief. Rage. Guilt.

And utter defeat. Bold and brilliant.

/./././

Eight minutes left. Now one of them kept their eye on the clock at all times. The other watched the window.

Almost time to go. To leave this place.

One more second closer to home.

And then the real nightmare would begin.

He'd have to tell his mother, father, sisters. Rachel. _Grace_.

Make it real. Sign on the dotted line. Lay bare what he'd failed to do and solidify the choice he'd made in the end – avenge his brother, protect his daughter. Murder. _An eye for an eye_.

And it didn't change a damn thing. He'd never see Matty again.

No, he would not look in that barrel. _Couldn't_.

His friends would carry that burden. He knew it. If he could only be brave enough. But he was selfish and didn't want that memory.

He wanted Matty alive and standing on that tarmac, taunting him. He hadn't been a big brother or a cop that day. He'd been a coward and let him go. Danny just hadn't realized it was forever.

_Did you ever?_

This trip had really been about chasing a ghost, saving what might be left. So Danny could tell his family he'd tried his best.

Didn't seem like much now, staring out the window. He had nothing to show for it. Wasted time, blood on his hands. Friends now caught in a terrible debt.

He'd lost even more when he pulled that trigger.

The Great Danny Williams was dead. Replaced. Murdered.

That one good part. The one that followed procedure. Who didn't shoot first. Who took people alive. That guy was gone. He'd been pushed to the edge one too many times.

_How could he look his daughter in the eyes again?_

_/./././_

Five more unbearable minutes. Too much longer and Danny thought he might explode.

_Look at me. _It was Steve saying those words now.

Words Danny would never hear again without seeing Reyes cowering in front of him.

_Danny, you ready?_ He could only nod. Wishing he could stop his brain from hashing and rehashing.

The worst thought? The one chewing a hole in his chest?

His biggest regret – not shooting his brother when he had the chance.

That conversation with his family he could have faced. _This one._ The one ahead of him, might kill him.

/./././

Two minutes left to go. The switch flipped. They were both all business.

Every breath, every muscle. Waiting, tensed, stressed and more than ready.

Steve took a deep breath. Locked eyes with Danny for a split second.

_This is it. Just follow me._

Another nod. No words needed. Only trust and the bond that would not break.

/./././

One minute. A light across the street.

Two flashes. _The signal._

Steve disappeared into the night. Danny followed.

Time to go home. _Together_.


End file.
